1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to an electric power cable reel handling apparatus and specifically to an apparatus that can be detachably mounted to a rubber tired dozer. The dozer through the dozer blade tilt hydraulic circuit supplies power to rotate the cable reel thereby reeling in loose power cable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the surface mining operations large electrical machines are used to excavate the mine. Electrical power is supplied to these machines through electric power cables. As such, at one time or another, it becomes necessary to move the cables to another location, and in and out of shops for repair and replacement.
It is common practice at many times to drag the cables from one location to another, or to coil the cables on skids and then move them. Both of these methods can be hazardous. Dragging the cable damages the cable's insulative cover and may cause electric current leakage from the cable. Coiling the cable on a skid takes at least four workers while another worker drags the skid with a tractor. There is always a possibility during this operation that a person may become entangled in the cable.
Many large machines, such as tracked dozers and mine locomotives, have been provided with cable reeling apparatuses that either coil electric power cable, or act as winches by pulling cable onto a coil, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,655,567, 3,027,141, 3,227,421 and 3,861,505. These devices may be powered by fluid motors which are connected to the vehicle's hydraulic system, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,765,547, 3,915,022 and 4,114,827.
Other electric power cable reeling devices have been proposed, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 899,613, 3,033,488, 3,429,374 and 3,876,045. It has also been suggested that a reeling device can be provided with jacks so that the reel shaft can be mounted in axial alignment with the power take-off of a vehicle, see U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,425.